S B Coaches College - Tip of the Month February 2006




		S B Coaches College Tip of the Month February 2006

More than half of Americans suffer from chronic or recurrent pain, and nearly half (46%) of those surveyed reported pain in the previous two weeks. That doesn't even count the "usual minor annoyances," either, says the ABC News/USA Today/Stanford University Medical Center poll. The 1,204 adults included in the April 2005 telephone survey were a sample of the U.S. population, so their answers may paint a picture of pain on a national scale.

Other interesting facts on pain:

Thirty-one million Americans have low back pain at any given time (1).
One half of all working Americans admit to having back symptoms each year (2).
One third of all Americans over age 18 had a back problem in the past five years severe enough for them to seek professional help (3).
And the cost of this care is estimated to be a staggering $50 Billion yearly--and that's just for the more easily identified costs! (4).

As we get older, we must learn to recognize that pain, stiffness, lack of energy, poor balance, erratic concentration, and inability to perform athletically are not caused by “old age”, but by a lack of motion! Quick, costly cures and joint replacement surgeries are used as ways to transfer responsibility from the lack of mobility our bodies receive.

We must take personal responsibility over our bodies and ultimately our lives. Pain is not normal and is not inevitable. You will continue to experience pain if you do not step up and move the amazing machine that is the human body.

There is almost a direct correlation between lack of motion and lack of function. If you don’t use the muscles, their capacity to function becomes decreased, and other muscles will be forced to work overtime for the inactive muscles. This causes certain muscles to be overstressed, which can cause wear and tear on joints and lead to imbalances and ultimately injuries (5).

We know that the body needs minimum daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, water and the macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) to survive. Have you ever stopped to think that human movement is just as important as food and water? Humans, as a species, have evolved where movement was essential to survival to now, where survival does not depend on motion. Our modern lifestyle discourages movement and is made for our ease. Just as our bodies would suffer from a lack of food and water, our bodies too will suffer from a lack of movement. We need to regain and take control of our abilities to move our bodies to ultimately protect ourselves and prolong our careers and those of the athletes we coach (5).

How do we do this in our sedentary and user-friendly lifestyles? One simple solution is to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Lift weights (free weights, preferably), run, walk, do yard work, play sports, play with your kids, take the stairs, etc. Just move your body every day, and make sure to move every joint to ensure that you are working every muscle in your entire body.

From an athletic standpoint, many of us coaches have our athletes perform dynamic warm-ups prior to training sessions or games. These types of warm-ups should be performed daily to ensure our bodies are getting quality movement.

Bottom line: Move your body at every opportunity you get; take the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk places where a car is not necessary. Don’t be lazy!

For ideas on warm-ups and/or exercises, check out SBCC’s Ready to Use Warm-ups CD-ROM.

References:

1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.

2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.

3. Finding from a national study conducted for the American Chiropractic Association. Risher P. Americans' Perception of Practitioners and Treatments for Back Problems. Louis Harris and Associates, Inc. New York: August, 1994.

4. This total represents only the more readily identifiable costs for medical care, workers compensation payments and time lost from work. It does not include costs associated with lost personal income due to acquired physical limitation resulting from a back problem and lost employer productivity due to employee medical absence. In Project Briefs: Back Pain Patient Outcomes Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville, MD, Summer 1994.

5. Egoscue, P. The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion. Quill Publishing. New York, 1992.